Automatic solenoid valve closing



Oct. 19, 1954 AUTOMATIC SOLENOID VALVE CLOSING DEVICE Filed March l5, 1952 .INI/ENTOR.

ArraR/vey R. B. LARKIN, .1R 2,692,113

Patented'Oct. 19, 1954 AUTOMATIC SOLENOID VALVE CLOSING DEVICE Robert B. Larkin, Jr., Bay Village, Ohio, assigner to The Patrol Valve Company, Cleveland, Ohio Application March 15, 1952, Serial No. 276,890

Y Claims.

This invention relates to solenoid valves, and more particularly, to a mechanism for automatically restoring the manually-operated mechanism of a solenoid valve, fluid-controlling valve, to its closed position upon termination of the iiow of fluid to the device, after the solenoid valve has been opened manually.

The use of solenoid valves for automatically controlling gas now to gas oven burners and the like is common practice, and such valves, in the event of a power failure, will close and will not open again until current ilow is reestablished. Manual control means are frequently used permitting the opening of the valve by hand so that the now of gas may be continued during the continuation of power failure. When such solenoid valve is used, for example, in a gas oven unit wherein the solenoid valve is responsive to a safety pilot provided with electric ignition means, certain objectionable and dangerous situations may result. The usual procedure, upon power failure in such cases, is to turn the manual gas valve to open position and then lift the valve of the solenoid by mechanical means and then ignite the gas burner with a match. Upon completion of the use of the oven, the manual control valve upstream from the solenoid, is manually shut off, and the solenoid valve must be reset to its off position by manually releasing the mechanism holding the solenoid in its open position.

In most automatic oven control systems the solenoid valve is positioned within the range body, where it may be readily forgotten and left in its open position at the termination of the use of the range. It follows, that if at the time of the next subsequent use of the oven, the solenoid valve has not been reset to its olf position, gas will be permitted to ow directly to the oven burner the instant the manual oven control valve is opened. In the event that the now of electric current has not been established to ignite the pilot name before the subsequent use of the oven, a dangerous quantity of raw gas accumulates in the range oven creating the possibility of an explosion. If the iiow of current has been reestablished, the electrical ignition coil will be energized at the same time that gas is admitted to the oven burner, and due to the excessive volume of gas present, ignition may be delayed, and finally when ignition is accomplished, an objectionable concussion may occur.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide means for resetting automatically a solenoid gas control valve to its closed position, whenever the ow of gas to a stove or furnace is shut oif by the manual control valve regulating the flow of gas to the solenoid valve, in order that, if perchance the solenoid valve has been manually opened during a power failure, and has not been manually closed before the next use of the stove, the solenoid valve will be automatically returned to its closed position and no gas will be permitted to flow to the oven until the burner is ignited by the regular ignition cycle, and the solenoid valve is opened thereby.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a relatively low cost, safety means for automatically closing a solenoid valve whenever the manual gas supply valve is closed, such means being positive in action and requiring few parts requiring adjustment or replacement.

These and other objects will be apparent during the course of the following speciiication.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specication:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through an illustrative embodiment of my invention including gas conduits connected thereto; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken on the lines 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the cam means for opening the solenoid valve.

The device illustrated herein is adapted to be used to regulate the flow of gas to a gas range cooking oven having a solenoid valve responsive to a safety pilot, and ignited electrically. Obviously this invention is adapted to be used to regulate the oW of gas to many devices other than range ovens.

in the drawings the numeral I I refers generally to a gas control valve comprising an outer Valve casing I2, including a top Wall I3, bottom wall I4, and two intermediate walls I5 and I6 dividing the casing I2 into an upper chamber Il and a lower chamber I'8, respectively, While a solenoid casing I9 mounted on the top of the valve casing i2 encloses a conventional solenoid structure 2t, having a magnetic field 2| and a vertically reciprocable core 22 having a valve stem 23 depending from its lower end. A valve 2li, mounted on the valve stem 23 is adapted to close a valve seat 25 provided in a Wall 26 dividing the upper half of the valve casing into an inlet chamber 2l and an outlet chamber 28.

A gas supply conduit 29 admits a gaseous fuel mixture to inlet chamber 2l from where it passes through the valve 24 into the outlet chamber 23 and then through fuel conduit 30 leading to an oven burner of a range oven not shown herein. A manually operated control valve, usually lo- 3 cated at the front of the stove and not shown herein, regulates the flow of gaseous fuel in the supply conduit 23 in an obvious manner. A valve spring 3| mounted around the valve stem 23 serves to urge the valve 24 against the seat 25 so that the valve 24 is closed when no current flows to the solenoid,- and no gaseous fuel passes from the inlet chamber 21 to the chamber 28, connected tothe oven burner.

A control conduit 32, connecting the fuel supply conduit 30 to the bottom Wall I4 of the casing, serves to equalize the pressure in the chamber I8 with the fuel pressure in fuel supply conduit 29, while a diaphragm 33 formed of some suitable material, and extending acrossthe `lower chamber I8 divides it into a pressure responsive chamber IB in communication with the control conduit 32 and a sealed chamber Ib.

A latch rod 34, secured at its lower end to the diaphragm 33 by nuts 35, is surrounded by a spring 36 urging the diaphragm 33 downwardly. The upper end of the latch rod 34, bearing against a cam 31, having a latch ratchet 31a, is mounted on a cam shaft 38, rotatably mounted in chamber I1, while a hand knob 39 mounted on the outer end of the cam shaft 38 is adapted to be rotated by hand. A rtorsion spring 4I mounted around the cam shaft 38, and having one end mounted in the casing wall I2 and its other end secured to the cam 31, serves to rotate the cam 31 in a counter-clock direction 90 from the position shown in the drawings, wherein the high point of the cam 31 is at the top, to a position wherein thelow point of the cam 31 is at the top,

A follower shaft 40, extending through the casing wall I5 and resting on the cam 31 at its lower end, serves to open the valve 24 against the tension of valve spring 3l when it rests on the high point of the cam 31, and permits the valve 24 to close when it rides on the low point of the cam 3 1. The latch ratchet 431a and the latch rod 34 are positioned and arranged in such manner that when the diaphragm 33 is retained in the lposition shown in Fig. 1, by the pressure of gas in the chamber Ia, when the valve 24 is open, the latch ratchet 31a retains vthe cam 31 in the position shown. When however the operator closes the manual valve supplying gas to the fuel conduit 29, the pressure in the chamber I8a will drop, thus causing the diaphragm 373 to drop withdrawing the latch ratchet 31a from its engagement with the cam 31, whereupon the torsion spring 4I will rotate the cam 90 in a counterclockwise manner, causing thelow point of the cam 31 to be at the top, and thus the follower shaft 40 urged downwardly by the valve spring 3 Iv will close the valve 24, thereby shutting off the ow of gas to the range oven through the conduit 30. The flow of gas to the oven burner may be restored by the normal operation of the solenoid valve I2 lifting the valve 24 from its seat 25 permitting gas to flow to the oven burner, the operation of the solenoid valve being well understood in the art. If desired, the solenoid valve may be one element of an automatic oven burner ignition cycle, including electric pilot ignition means from which the oven burner is ignited.

Should Athe closing of the solenoid valve II` Abe the result of an electric power failure ,automatically closing the solenoid valve I2, and the operator desires to use the oven during the period of such power failure, the operator turns hand knob 39 in a clockwise direction 90 until the latch ratchet 31a is in engagement with the upper end of the latch rod 34, at which time the high point of the cam 31 will lift the follower shaft 40 upwardly, thus forcing the valve 24 from its seat 25 and thereby permit gas to flow to the oven burner through conduit 30. This permits a flow of gas through control conduit 32 to the chamber Ia to retain the diaphragm 33 in the position shown in the drawings, which retains the latch rod against the latch ratchet 31a of the cam `31. Shutting the main manual gas control valve will cause a pressure drop under the diaphragm 33 permitting it to drop, thus withdrawing the follower shaft V4I) from its engagement with the cam ratchet 31a,

which permits the torsion spring 4I to rotate the cam 31 in a counter-clockwise direction 90 causing the low point of the cam 31 to be at the top. The follower shaft then rides downwardly permitting the valve spring 3I to close the valve 34.

Thus it will be seen that this invention provides means for the normal functioning of a solenoidvgas control valve, and also provides means for manually lifting the solenoid control valve during a power failure so that the oven burner may be ignited by a match. In addition thereto, means are provided for automatically closing the solenoid valve, which are caused to function whenever the main gas supply valve is shut oif. After the closing of the solenoid valve, as above described, the device is in condition to function through the normal cycle of automatic operations.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiment of my invention disclosed herein is illustrative only and that the invention may be variouslychanged, used or modified with-y out departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

I claim:

l.. A combination solenoid and manually operated valve comprising, a solenoid valve normally controlling the ow of fluid from an inlet conduit into an outlet conduit, `means for manually -opening said valve in the event of failure ofthe solenoid to operate said valve, a diaphragm in uuid-connection with said outlet conduit, and means associated with said diaphragm and said manual control .means for retaining said valve in its open position after it has been manually opened as long as there is fluid pressure against said diaphragm, the disposition arrangement of said diaphragm and associated parts permitting said valve to close upon termination of iiuid pressure against Said diaphragm, thus restoring said valve .to its normal solenoid operation.

2. A combination solenoid and manually operated valve comprising, a solenoid valve normally controlling, the 'flow of fluid from an inlet conduit into an-outlet conduit, means for manually openingr said valve inthe event of failure of the solenoid to operate said valve, .including a cam and follower .and an operating handle, a diaphragm in uid connection with said outlet conduit, and means associated with said vdiaphragm andA said cam and follower for retaining said valve in its open position after it has been opened manually as long as fluid under pressure is supplied said diaphragm by said outlet opening, the disposition arrangement of said diaphragm and associated parts permitting said valve to. close upon termination of uid pressure against said diaphragm, whereby said valve is restored for normal solenoid, operation.

v3. A combination solenoid and manually `operated valve comprising, a `solenoid valve con-` trolling the ow of uid'from van Linlet conduit to an outlet conduit, a diaphragm in fluid connection with said outlet conduit, cam means adapted to be manually operated for opening said valve, means disposed on said cam for locking it in its valve-opening position, means mounted on said diaphragm for engaging said cam locking means, said diaphragm being positioned and arranged in such manner that it retains said cam engaging means in its cam engaging position after it has been manually opened by fluid pressure against said diaphragm supplied through said outlet conduit and upon termination of such iluid pressure against said diaphragm said diaphragm carries said cam engaging means from said cam, and means for returning said cam to its valve closing position upon release of said pressure, whereby said valve is restored to normal solenoid operating position.

4. A combination solenoid and manually operated valve comprising, a solenoid valve controlling the ilow of fluid from an inlet conduit to an outlet conduit, a diaphragm in fluid connection with said outlet conduit, cam means adapted to be manually operated for opening said valve, a ratchet on said cam for locking it in its valve opening position, a latch rod mounted on said diaphragm at one end and at its opposite end engaging said cam ratchet, said diaphragm being positioned and arranged in such manner that it retains said rod in its cam engaging position after it has been manually opened by uid pressure against said diaphragm supplied through said outlet conduit, and upon termination of iluid pressure against said diaphragm said diaphragm carries said latch rod away from said cam, and means for returning said cam to its valve closing position upon release of said pressure, whereby said valve is restored to normal solenoid operating position.

5. A combination solenoid and manually operated Valve comprising, a solenoid valve normally controlling the ow of fluid from an inlet conduit into an outlet conduit, a rotatable cam and follower means for manually opening said Valve in the event of failure of the solenoid to operate said valve, a diaphragm in fluid connection with said outlet conduit, -means mounted on said diaphragm for locking said cam in its valve-opening position after it has been manually opened and retaining it open as long as there is iluid pressure against said diaphragm, the disposition arrangement of said diaphragm and associated parts causing said cam locking means to release said cam upon termination of fluid pressure against said valve after it has been opened manually, thus restoring said valve to its normal solenoid operation.

6. A combination solenoid and manually operated valve comprising, a solenoid valve normally controlling the flow of uid from an inlet conduit into an outlet conduit, a rotatable cam and follower means for manually opening said valve in the event of failure of the solenoid to operate said valve, a diaphragm in iluid connection with said outlet conduit, means mounted on said diaphragm for locking said cam in its valve-opening position as long as there is fluid pressure against said diaphragm, the disposition arrangement of said diaphragm and associated parts causing said cam locking means to release said cam upon termination of iluid pressure against said valve, and means for returning said cam to its normal non-valve-opening position upon release of said cam locking means, after it has been opened manually, thus restoring said valve to its normal solenoid operation.

7. A combination solenoid and manually operated valve comprising, a solenoid valve normally controlling the flow of fluid from an inlet conduit into an outlet conduit, a cam and follower means for manually opening said valve in the event of failure of the solenoid to operate said valve, a ratchet locking means disposed on said cam, a diaphragm in fluid connection with said outlet conduit, a latch rod mounted on said diaphragm for locking with said cam ratchet and thus retain said cam in its valve-opening position, the construction and arrangement of said diaphragm being such that it retains said latch rod in locked relation with said cam ratchet after the valve has been opened manually only, during that interval when there is appreciable fluid pres'- sure against said diaphragm, whereby upon termination of such fluid pressure said diaphragm moves away from said cam sufliciently to carry said latch rod from its locked relation with said cam ratchet, and means for restoring said cam to its normal non-valve-opening position upon release of said cam ratchet, whereby said manually operated means are inoperative and the valve is restored to normal solenoid operation.

Reim-ences Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,259,016 Gille Jan, 6, 1942 2,396,815 Blum Mar. 19, 1946 

